Sanja is in the market when a fight breaks out between a witch and some local ruffians. She interjects, only to get kidnapped by the witch, who goes by Lelek. In exchange for her freedom, Sanja offers to teach Lelek to fight with a blade. Lelek accepts, for she is on a quest to find the missing half of her soul. Together, the two women journey across the land, discovering who they are, and confronting their past in order to move forward.

The main plot point of the kidnapping really killed this one for me. If you can get past it, it’s a tale reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast in which two people are thrown together by circumstance and have to learn to love and accept first themselves, then each other. It’s made even more powerful by the fabulous representation of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Fantasy sorely needs more representation and in that respect, this graphic novel delivers.

The art couldn’t decide between two wildly different styles: those being cartoony and ancient Asian. The figures were rounded with stylized features, but (as was often the case with ancient Asian art) the field of depth was often too flat for them to be effective. Their expressions were also very flat and ambiguous… honestly, it was very hard to tell what anyone was thinking or feeling a lot of the time. On the other hand, the landscapes and backgrounds worked very well with the blends of styles they used. The environments were more interesting to me than the characters themselves.

In my opinion, the only thing this graphic novel did well was its representation and diversity in characters. I found the main love story problematic because of the Stockholm Syndrome-esque elements. The art clashed two different styles to its detriment. I’m disappointed because this was well-reviewed even before publication. You’re not missing anything if you skip it.

– Kathleen

Zabarsky, Jessi and Geov Chouteau. Witchlight. 2020.